What They Saw
by Mr. Omelette
Summary: What Noah, Jake and Emma saw. And what Troy and Gia didn't.


**Title**: _What They Saw_

**Written By:** Mr. Omelette

**Disclaimer: **Don't own it. If I did, then the cast of the series would grow out of proportion.

**Spoilers: **No Spoilers

**A/N: **I ship this because I ship Noah/Emma so hard. Those two ideas don't connect, right?

**Summary: **What the three other rangers saw_._

* * *

Noah sees it first. Though not because he was smart. But because he watches his friends. Okay, intuition might've helped, but unless you were looking, you would have never seen it. How Troy somehow always seeks the approval of practical Gia, and how Gia just naturally becomes like the _real_ Gia when she talks to Troy.

Troy doesn't need to sugar coat it with her. He says it how the situation is, and Gia fares better than the rest of them at handling the harsh truth. By all intents and purposes, she's Troy's equal in maturity. And somehow, Gia balances out the entire group, with such optimists like Emma and Jake (and Noah too sometimes) around.

Gia, in turn, keeps Troy grounded. And less suicidal. The young man clearly doesn't want his friends facing any danger, so much so that he'd much rather do the ranger thing by himself. In turn, he has the habit of rushing into their battles by himself. A well-placed word here, and covering his back when he's fighting is what Gia does best, all with a will that's as bright as the sun, and determination as hot as the fire that his red symbolises.

If he could, he would take every burden by himself, and she is there to take most of the load off of him. Whether he likes it or not.

When she tries to push herself further, he is there to pull her away and tell her that retreat is not defeat. And losses are only losses when you let them make you think you lost. He says that, ironically, not with words but by his actions.

She is the voice that Troy doesn't have the emotional ability to convey. What might sound to the average bystander as harsh, she interprets it as a cohesive, rational and caring thought from the leader.

He is the fire that keeps Gia from losing the will to fight. Inspiration inspired through action and solidarity. That the burden might be tough because it's just them, but it's not really so bad because they were chosen and because Gosei believed they were able and capable.

He's known Jake, Emma and Gia since kindergarten, and while he was never really close to the girls, they were nice enough to him. The four of them wouldn't really make a cohesive group, but the _five_ of them made more... sense.

Like that movie, _Breakfast Club_. But we're getting off-track here.

As civilians, he is the center of the group. He is the chameleon that adapts for his comrades; he can be loud and happy like Jake and Emma, or reserved yet happy like Troy and Gia. And he is okay with that role. And, maybe, because of that role, he sees things.

So when Troy looks at Gia, silent but challenging, and oh-so-tauntingly raises a brown eyebrow, Gia shakes her head and chuckles hummingly under her breath as she lowers the smoothie that she's drinking. And Noah - keen, observant Noah - knew it's real.

* * *

Jake saw it too, not far after Noah. It was after a defeat, when he saw it. The Armada brought out the big guns, and has dispatched not one, but three super generals. Overwhelmed, they were quickly bested and down on the ground even with Legendary Mode.

Of course, the generals laughed and taunted, and yes, they found the rangers' efforts so pitiful they just _had_ to withdraw, so five rangers stumbled back into their command center black and blue.

Troy took it the hardest, because not only were more buildings destroyed, more lives were lost that day. Jake didn't mean to, but in school the next day, in a secluded area Jake didn't know existed, he found Troy in tears, silently weeping over being so _weak_. What _didn't_ surprise him was Gia cupping Troy's cheeks, and pressing her forehead over his.

"We'll get better." she said in a soft tone. Eyes closed, a small, sad smile on her lips, "We have to."

Troy sighed, and closed his eyes, "Never surrender."

Gia let go of the skinship and laughed her Gia laugh, "The promise of a lifetime."

Jake saw Troy laugh before composing himself for a second, "...you bet."

In the end, it didn't hurt as much as it did. Because even a blind man can see what Jake saw. And it is better it's Troy, because Troy is pretty cool in his own way.

* * *

Noah might've been the first to have seen it, but Emma knew it from the start. Granted, when everyone first met Troy, Gia didn't really think much about him, even when they became rangers. But if Emma was uniquely expert in something, it was usually related to Gia.

And she secretly found in kind of cute. Individually, they were pretty independent and reliable people. But together, they were a force to be reckoned with.

Emma didn't need to see it, because she knew. That even if Troy would instinctively go to her aid, it would be because Troy placed so much faith on Gia that he'd leave the yellow ranger's side to help her. How only Troy would let himself be broken in the presence of Gia because Gia can take it, and Gia would caringly pick up the pieces and pull the red ranger together, even if Troy didn't want it.

She knew that Troy would painfully keep himself strong in the others' presence, because Troy has this notion that a sun should only waver when the moon shone brightly at night. But with Gia, Troy is real and normal, and just like everybody else, and with Gia, Emma thinks Troy remembers that he's a person too, and he doesn't need to try being perfect. Because he isn't. No one is.

Emma may have been jealous that only Gia would get see Troy in his broken state, but Emma knew Gia was the only one strong enough in their group, the only one who wouldn't break when he's so clearly broken. Emma was also smart enough to know that, together, the two are more complete than they are by themselves.

Now, if Troy and Gia would just see it.


End file.
